17,979 research outputs found
Yielding of rockfill in relative humidity-controlled triaxial experiments
The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11440-016-0437-9The paper reports the results of suction controlled triaxial tests performed on compacted samples of two well graded granular materials in the range of coarse sand-medium gravel particle sizes: a quartzitic slate and a hard limestone. The evolution of grain size distributions is discussed. Dilatancy rules were investigated. Dilatancy could be described in terms of stress ratio, plastic work input and average confining stress. The shape of the yield locus in a triaxial plane was established by different experimental techniques. Yielding loci in both types of lithology is well represented by approximate elliptic shapes whose major axis follows approximately the Ko line. Relative humidity was found to affect in a significant way the evolution of grain size distribution, the deviatoric stress-strain response and the dilatancy rules.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Towards the optimal Pixel size of dem for automatic mapping of landslide areas
Determining appropriate spatial resolution of digital elevation model (DEM) is a key step for effective landslide analysis based on remote sensing data. Several studies demonstrated that choosing the finest DEM resolution is not always the best solution. Various DEM resolutions can be applicable for diverse landslide applications. Thus, this study aims to assess the influence of special resolution on automatic landslide mapping. Pixel-based approach using parametric and non-parametric classification methods, namely feed forward neural network (FFNN) and maximum likelihood classification (ML), were applied in this study. Additionally, this allowed to determine the impact of used classification method for selection of DEM resolution. Landslide affected areas were mapped based on four DEMs generated at 1m, 2m, 5m and 10m spatial resolution from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The performance of the landslide mapping was then evaluated by applying landslide inventory map and computation of confusion matrix. The results of this study suggests that the finest scale of DEM is not always the best fit, however working at 1m DEM resolution on micro-topography scale, can show different results. The best performance was found at 5m DEM-resolution for FFNN and 1m DEM resolution for results. The best performance was found to be using 5m DEM-resolution for FFNN and 1m DEM resolution for ML classification
Glare, a GIS tool to reconstruct the 3D surface of palaeoglaciers
Acknowledgements This research has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust International Network Grant IN-2012-140. Processing and collecting of ground penetrating data in Forgefonna was part of Elend Førre's master's project that was completed in 2009 at the Department of Geography, University of Bergen. We also acknowledge Dr Andreas Bauder for providing the subglacial topography data for Griessgletscher and Simone Tarquini for granting access to the high resolution TIN of Italy, a cut of which is provided to the reader to practice the tools (see Appendix). Referees Dr. Iestyn Barr, Dr. Jeremy Ely and Dr. Marc Oliva are thanked for their constructive comments and tool testing, which significantly improved the final output.Peer reviewedPostprin
Mathematical models for erosion and the optimal transportation of sediment
We investigate a mathematical theory for the erosion of sediment which begins with the study of a non-linear, parabolic, weighted 4-Laplace equation on a rectangular domain corresponding to a base segment of an extended landscape. Imposing natural boundary conditions, we show that the equation admits entropy solutions and prove regularity and uniqueness of weak solutions when they exist. We then investigate a particular class of weak solutions studied in previous work of the first author and produce numerical simulations of these solutions. After introducing an optimal transportation problem for the sediment flow, we show that this class of weak solutions implements the optimal transportation of the sediment
Evaluation of the potential for dissolved oxygen ingress into deep sedimentary basins during a glaciation event
Geochemical conditions in intracratonic sedimentary basins are currently reducing, even at relatively shallow depths. However, during glaciation-deglaciation events, glacial meltwater production may result in enhanced recharge (Bea et al., 2011; and Bea et al., 2016) potentially having high concentrations of dissolved oxygen (O2). In this study, the reactive transport code Par-MIN3PTHCm was used to perform an informed, illustrative set of simulations assessing the depth of penetration of low salinity, O2-rich, subglacial recharge. Simulation results indicate that the large-scale basin hydrostratigraphy, in combination with the presence of dense brines at depth, results in low groundwater velocities during glacial meltwater infiltration, restricting the vertical ingress of dilute recharge waters. Furthermore, several geochemical attenuation mechanisms exist for O2, which is consumed by reactions with reduced mineral phases and solid organic matter (SOM). The modeling showed that effective oxidative mineral dissolution rates and SOMoxidation rates between 5 Ă— 10-15 and 6 Ă— 10-13 mol dm-3 bulk s-1 were sufficient to restrict the depth of O2 ingress to less than 200m.These effective rates are low and thus conservative, in comparison to rates reported in the literature. Additional simulations with more realistic, yet still conservative, parameters reaffirm the limited ability for O2 to penetrate into sedimentary basin rocks during a glaciation-deglaciation event.Fil: Bea, Sergio AndrĂ©s. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Rectorado. Instituto de HidrologĂa de Llanuras - Sede Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. GobernaciĂłn. ComisiĂłn de Investigaciones CientĂficas. Instituto de HidrologĂa de Llanuras - Sede Tandil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; ArgentinaFil: Su, Danyang. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Mayer, Klaus Ulrich. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: MacQuarrie, T. B.. University of New Brunswick; Canad
VoroCrust: Voronoi Meshing Without Clipping
Polyhedral meshes are increasingly becoming an attractive option with
particular advantages over traditional meshes for certain applications. What
has been missing is a robust polyhedral meshing algorithm that can handle broad
classes of domains exhibiting arbitrarily curved boundaries and sharp features.
In addition, the power of primal-dual mesh pairs, exemplified by
Voronoi-Delaunay meshes, has been recognized as an important ingredient in
numerous formulations. The VoroCrust algorithm is the first provably-correct
algorithm for conforming polyhedral Voronoi meshing for non-convex and
non-manifold domains with guarantees on the quality of both surface and volume
elements. A robust refinement process estimates a suitable sizing field that
enables the careful placement of Voronoi seeds across the surface circumventing
the need for clipping and avoiding its many drawbacks. The algorithm has the
flexibility of filling the interior by either structured or random samples,
while preserving all sharp features in the output mesh. We demonstrate the
capabilities of the algorithm on a variety of models and compare against
state-of-the-art polyhedral meshing methods based on clipped Voronoi cells
establishing the clear advantage of VoroCrust output.Comment: 18 pages (including appendix), 18 figures. Version without compressed
images available on https://www.dropbox.com/s/qc6sot1gaujundy/VoroCrust.pdf.
Supplemental materials available on
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6p72h1e2ivw6kj3/VoroCrust_supplemental_materials.pd
Horizontal accuracy assessment of very high resolution Google Earth images in the city of Rome, Italy
Google Earth (GE) has recently become the focus of increasing interest and popularity
among available online virtual globes used in scientific research projects, due to the
free and easily accessed satellite imagery provided with global coverage. Nevertheless,
the uses of this service raises several research questions on the quality and uncertainty
of spatial data (e.g. positional accuracy, precision, consistency), with implications for
potential uses like data collection and validation. This paper aims to analyze the
horizontal accuracy of very high resolution (VHR) GE images in the city of Rome
(Italy) for the years 2007, 2011, and 2013. The evaluation was conducted by using
both Global Positioning System ground truth data and cadastral photogrammetric
vertex as independent check points. The validation process includes the comparison of
histograms, graph plots, tests of normality, azimuthal direction errors, and the
calculation of standard statistical parameters. The results show that GE VHR imageries
of Rome have an overall positional accuracy close to 1 m, sufficient for deriving
ground truth samples, measurements, and large-scale planimetric maps
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